Archives

An Unusual Program is Helping Vets Rewire from War

By Ryan Howes - Therapists know that words can heal. But what if the words were in iambic pentameter and delivered from a stage? Veteran and professional actor Stephan Wolfert is testing a PTSD intervention that for decades has been pairing classical theater training with the science of trauma.

Revealing Ourselves to Clients

By Deborah Buckwalter - The first time I saw Michael, I could barely distinguish his form as human. A young man in his 20s, Michael had been the sole survivor of a plane crash. The sight of him was unlike anything I’d witnessed before, as was his question that left me confronting everything I'd come to believe about therapist self-disclosure.

Researcher Bella DePaulo on Keeping Our "Matrimania" in Check

By Ryan Howes - Think of a prototypical healthy adult. Are they married or single? While many studies promote the mental and physical benefits of marriage, long-time singles advocate Bella DePaulo says the reported findings are biased, and we therapists need to better understand the single population as more than people waiting to find the right partner.

A Therapist's Surprise Connection With Her Client

By Christina Emanuel - Ryan’s reputation arrived before he did: brilliant, oppositional, angry, a general pain in the butt, and autistic. Over the years, he certainly tried my patience and tested my commitment to him. But one day, a few years into his treatment, Ryan noticed a shift in me that helped me redefine what he's capable of, and what we're capable of together.

A Motivation Expert Weighs in on the Downside of Overpraise

By Ryan Howes - Should we praise children, students, clients, and ourselves for being smart people who earn top marks? According to motivation expert and bestselling author Carol Dweck, praising intelligence often creates people devoid of resilience and motivation. It’s far more important, she says, to enhance people’s ability to tackle adversity and persevere.

An Interview with Psychiatry Professor and Author Kay Redfield Jamison

By Ryan Howes - Helping suicidal clients is one of the most important interventions we can make as therapists, and it’s one of the scariest aspects of our work. Kay Redfield Jamison, psychiatry professor and bestselling author, shares her thoughts on how the fields of medicine and psychology can work to better understand and treat severe mood disorders and suicidality.

...And the Two-Minute "Courageous Act" That's So Important

By Ryan Howes - Psychologist Howard Stevenson, a researcher trained in family therapy, has devoted himself to studying the moments when racial tensions reach their peak. In the following interview, he shares the method he's developed to help individuals remain calm in the midst of a racial conflict or discussion.

Buddhist Thought Pioneer Mark Epstein Has a Message for Therapists

By Ryan Howes - For psychiatrist and bestselling author Mark Epstein, a state of mindfulness isn’t just a prescription for quieting an anxious mind: it’s an introductory phase to a much deeper process of healing and enlightenment. In the following interview, he breaks down the intersection of Eastern and Western thought playing out in our culture today.

An Interview with Gary Chapman

By Ryan Howes - In our romantic fantasies, the path to true love is smooth. But the couples we see in therapy aren’t always so adept. In his book, The Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman writes that people typically tend to express and understand emotional love through one of five “languages”—words of affirmation, quality time, personal gifts, acts of service, or physical touch.

Expressive Arts Therapy Pioneer Cathy Malchiodi Weighs In

By Ryan Howes - Art therapy can help people of all ages process and recover from trauma. In the following interview, Cathy Malchiodi, President of Art Therapy Without Borders, explains her approach and talks about the growing movement to treat returning combat veterans with art and expressive art therapy.